Chapter 6: Skills from Monsters

"Alright, I’m done with the dissection."

I took a breath after finishing the dissection of the fallen deer-like monster.

Thanks to the 'Appraisal' skill that Lloyd had stolen from someone, I could easily determine which parts of the monster were valuable.

Carrying all the materials from the hunted monster back would be quite a hassle, so having this skill was honestly a big help.

It seems Lloyd's body is quite capable for a reincarnation destination.

Well, there are people out there who are probably struggling because they lost 'Appraisal,' but that's not something I can worry about.

I need to use whatever I can.

I put away the materials from the dissected deer-like monster and let out a small sigh.

"Now, what to do. It's my first combat, so I could call it a day here... But I’m really curious about that skill I stole earlier."

The skill I had stolen from the deer-like monster was 'Power Thrust (Magic).' 

From the list of skills I had stolen so far, there was no other skill marked with (Magic).

There was a regular 'Power Thrust,' but what could be the difference between it and the one with (Magic)?

Is it just a notation to indicate that it was stolen from a monster?

No, if it has the same effect, there’s no need to differentiate.

"Thinking about it won’t help. It’s better to just try it out."

I decided to venture deeper into the forest to find a monster to test the skill.

"Is that… a wolf? No, maybe it's a mountain dog?"

While searching for a monster to test the skill, I spotted two small, wolf-like creatures.

They seemed unaware of me approaching from behind, as they were drinking water by the riverside.

"Alright. I’ll try it out with a surprise attack."

Since I had both 'Power Thrust' and 'Power Thrust (Magic),' it would be good to compare them.

I quietly approached the monsters, drawing my sword and preparing to use the 'Power Thrust' skill.

"Power Thrust!"

My body took a stance for the thrust and lunged powerfully at one of the monsters.

Before the monster could even turn around, I drove a strong thrust into it.

Splush!

“C’mon!”

The thrust seemed to hit the monster’s vital spot, and as I withdrew the sword, the monster fell to the ground, lifeless.

So, it really is just as the name suggests.

"Grrrrrrr..."

"Oh right, there was another one."

I heard a growl from the other wolf-like monster and quickly turned my blade towards it.

The remaining monster seemed surprised and wary of its fallen companion, not immediately attacking.

In that case, I’ll make the first move.

What’s the difference between the skill with (Magic) and the regular skill? I’ll test that now.

I took a few steps back to create some distance and readied my sword again.

"Here we go, 'Power Thrust (Magic)'! Whoa!"

As soon as I activated the skill, I felt a surge of power throughout my body.

As I kicked off the ground, my body surged forward with explosive force, propelling me directly at the monster.

"Whoa, whoa!"

In an instant, the power from my thrust carried through, and my sword delivered a sharp jab to the monster.

Zaaaaannggg!

“Gyaaaaah!!”

The monster, hit by my thrust, was sent flying backward and slammed into a tree near the water's edge, where it lay motionless.

"What, what was that thrust?"

It was clearly a different skill from the earlier 'Power Thrust.'

No, perhaps not entirely different—more like an enhanced version?

"Could it be that skills used by monsters are stronger than those used by humans, even if they’re the same skill?"

If that’s the case, then if I keep stealing skills from monsters, I could become quite powerful, couldn't I?

This might be seriously overpowered!

Faced with this unexpected turn of events, I couldn't help but smile.

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